Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address in the 104th Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on 27.08.2023
My dear family members, Namaskar. A very warm welcome to you once again in the August episode of Mann Ki Baat. I don't recall if it has ever happened that in the month of Sawan, 'Mann Ki Baat' program was held twice, but, this time, the same is happening. Sawan means the month of Mahashiv, the month of festivities and fervour. The success of Chandrayaan has enhanced this atmosphere of celebration manifold. It has been more than three days that Chandrayaan has reached the moon. This success is so grand that any amount of discussion about it would be inadequate. When I am talking to you today, I am reminded of a few lines of an old poem of mine...
Raise your head high
To slice the densest of clouds
It’s time to devote ourselves
To the resolve of spreading radiance
Well, the sun has just risen
Treading ahead with a firm resolve,
Crossing every deterrent; nay barrier
To dispel the scourge of utter darkness
Well, the sun has just risen.
And then one realises…
Even the sun has just risen…
Albeit…shining across many a dense cloud
Yet….holding the head sky high!
My family members, on the 23rd of August, India and India's Chandrayaan have proved that some suns of resolve rise on the moon as well. Mission Chandrayaan has become a symbol of the spirit of New India, which wants to ensure victory, and also knows how to win in any situation.
Friends, there has been one aspect of this mission which I specially want to discuss with all of you today. You might remember this time I have expressed from Red Fort that we have to strengthen Women Led Development as a national character. Where the might of women power is added, the impossible can also be made possible. India's Mission Chandrayaan is also a live example of woman power. Many women scientists and engineers have been directly involved in this entire mission. They have handled many important responsibilities like project director, project manager of different systems. The daughters of India are now challenging even the Space which is considered infinite. When the daughters of a country become so ambitious, who can stop that country from becoming developed!
Friends, we have accomplished such a lofty flight since today our dreams are big and our efforts are also big. Along with our scientists, other sectors have also played an important role in the success of Chandrayaan-3. Many countrymen have contributed in ensuring all the parts and meeting technical requirements. When everyone's efforts converged, success was also achieved. This is the biggest success of Chandrayaan-3. I wish that in future too our space sector will achieve innumerable successes like this with collective efforts.
My family members, the month of September is going to be witness to the potential of India. India is fully prepared for the G-20 Leaders Summit to be held next month. Heads of 40 countries and many Global Organizations are coming to the capital Delhi to participate in this event. This will be the biggest participation ever in the history of the G-20 Summit. During her presidency, India has made G-20 a more inclusive forum. The African Union also joined the G-20 on India’s invitation and the voice of the people of Africa reached this important platform of the world. Friends, since India took over the presidency of the G-20 in Bali last year, so much has happened that it fills us with pride. Moving away from the tradition of holding big events in Delhi, we took them to different cities of the country. About 200 meetings related to this were organized in 60 cities across the country. Wherever the G-20 Delegates went, people warmly welcomed them. These delegates were very impressed, seeing the diversity of our country and our vibrant democracy. They also realized that there are so many possibilities in India.
Friends, Our Presidency of the G-20 is a People's Presidency, in which the spirit of public participation is at the forefront. Among the eleven Engagement Groups of G-20, Academia, Civil Society, Youth, Women, our Parliamentarians, Entrepreneurs and people associated with Urban Administration played an important role. In one way or the other, more than 1.5 crore people are associated with the events being organized across the country regarding this. In this effort of ours for public participation, not just one, but two world records have also been created. The participation of 1.25 lakh students from 800 schools in the G-20 Quiz held in Varanasi became a new world record. At the same time, the Lambani artisans also did wonders. 450 artisans have showcased their skill and craftsmanship by creating an amazing collection of around 1800 Unique Patches. Every representative who came to the G-20 was amazed to see the artistic diversity of our country. One such grand program was organized in Surat. 15,000 women from 15 states participated in the 'Saree Walkathon' held there. This program not only gave a boost to Surat's Textile Industry, 'Vocal for Local' also got a fillip and also paved the way for Local to become Global. After the G-20 meeting in Srinagar, a huge increase in the number of tourists to Kashmir is being seen. I urge all countrymen to come together to make the G-20 summit successful and bring glory to the country.
My family members, in episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat', we often discuss the potential of our young generation. Today, sports is one area where our youth are continuously achieving new successes. Today in 'Mann Ki Baat', I will talk about a tournament where recently our players have raised the national flag. A few days ago the World University Games were held in China. India displayed her best ever performance in these games this time. Our players won 26 medals in all, out of which 11 were Gold Medals. You will be pleased to know that even if we add all the medals won in all the World University Games that have been held since 1959, this number reaches only 18. In all these decades just 18 whereas this time our players won 26 medals. Hence, some young sportspersons, students who have won medals in the World University Games are currently connected with me on the phone line. Let me first tell you about them. Pragati, a resident of UP, has won a medal in Archery. Amlan, a resident of Assam, has won a medal in Athletics. Priyanka, a resident of UP, has won a medal in Race Walk. Abhidanya, a resident of Maharashtra, has won a medal in Shooting.
Modi ji :- Namaskar my dear young players.
Young player :- Namaste Sir.
Modi ji :- It’s a nice feeling taking to you. First of all, I congratulate the team selected from the universities of India… you people have brought glory to the name of India. You have made every countryman proud through your performance in the World University Games. So first of all I congratulate you heartily.
Pragati, I am starting this conversation with you. First of all, tell me what had you thought when you left after winning two medals? And having achieved such a big victory, what are you feeling?
Pragati :- Sir, I was feeling very proud, I was feeling so good that I had returned with my country's flag hoisted so high… it is okay that once I had reached the Gold Fight, I had lost it and was regretting it. But the second time it was in my mind that if something happens now, I will not let it lower down. It has to flutter the highest in any situation. When we won the fight at the end, we celebrated very well on the same podium. That moment was very good. I was feeling so proud that I could not measure the feeling.
Modi ji :- Pragati, you were facing a big problem physically. You emerged out of that. This in itself is a great inspiration for the youth of the country. What had happened to you?
Pragati:- Sir, on the 5th of May, 2020, I had brain haemorrhage. I was on the ventilator. There was no surety whether I would survive or not and if at all, how would I survive? But certainly… yes, I had the inner courage that I have to go back to stand on the ground. I have to shoot the Arrow. If my life has been saved then the biggest role is of God, then doctor, then Archery.
Modi ji :- Amlan is also with us. Amlan, tell me how you developed so much of interest in athletics!
Amlan :- Ji Namaskar Sir.
Modi ji :- Namaskar, Namaskar
Amlan :- Sir, earlier there was not much interest towards Athletics. Earlier we were more into Football. But as my brother’s friend told me that Amlan you should go for athletics competitions. So I thought okay, so the first time I played the State Meet, I lost in it. I didn't like the defeat. So gradually, I got into athletics. Then slowly, now it is starting to be fun. So just like that my interest grew.
Modi ji :- Amlan just tell me where did you practice mostly!
Amlan :- Mostly I have practiced in Hyderabad, Under Sai Reddy sir. Then after that there was a shift to Bhubaneswar and from there I started professionally sir.
Ok, Priyanka is also with us. Priyanka, you were part of the 20 kilometer Race Walk Team. The whole country is listening to you today, and they want to know about this sport. Tell us what kind of skills are required for this. And what has been the trajectory of your career?
Priyanka :- In an event like mine it is very tough because there are five judges present. Even if we run, they will expel us or even if we get off the road a little, they will declare us out even if there is a jump. Or even if we bend our knees, they expel us and I was even given a warning twice. After that, I controlled my speed so much since somehow I had to win the team medal, at least from here. Because we have come here for the country and we do not want to leave empty handed.
Modi ji :- Yes, and are father, brother and others all fine?
Priyanka :- Yes sir, everything is fine, I tell everyone that you motivate us so much, really sir, I am feeling very good, because there is not even a lot of demand for a game like World University in India. It goes, but now we are getting so much support in this game also… we are seeing tweets…everyone is tweeting that we have won so many medals, so it is feeling very good that like Olympics, this too, is getting so much of encouragement.
Modi ji: Well, Priyanka, congratulations from my side. You have made a big name, let us talk to Abhidanya.
Abhidanya :- Namaste Sir.
Modi ji: Tell me about yourself.
Abhidanya :- Sir I am from Kolhapur proper, Maharashtra, I do both 25 metres sports pistol and 10 metres air pistol events in shooting. Both my parents are high school teachers and I started shooting in 2015. When I started shooting, there were not that many facilities available in Kolhapur. It takes one and a half hour to travel from Vadgaon to Kolhapur by bus, then one and a half hour to come back, and four hours of training, so like that, 6-7 hours for travelling and training, so I used to miss my school too, then Mummy-Papa said that beta, do one thing, we will take you to the shooting range on Saturday-Sunday, and the rest of the time you do other games. So I used to play a lot of games in my childhood, because both my parents were very much interested in sports, but they could not do anything, financial support was not that much and there was not that much of information available. Hence my mother had a big dream…wanted me to represent the country and then win a medal for the country. So to fulfil her dream, I used to take a lot of interest in sports since childhood and then I have also done Taekwondo, in that too, I am a black belt, and after doing many games like Boxing, Judo, fencing and discus throw, I came to shooting. Then I struggled a lot for 2-3 years and for the first time I got selected in Malaysia for the University Championship and I got Bronze Medal in that, so I actually got a push from there. Then my school made a shooting range for me…I used to train there and then they sent me to Pune for training. So there’s Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, Gun for Glory… I am training under it now… Gagan sir has supported me a lot and encouraged me for my game.
Modi ji :- Well, if all four of you want to say something to me, I would like to hear it. There should be Pragati, Amlan, Priyanka and Abhidanya. All of you are connected with me, so if you want to say something, I will definitely listen.
Amlan :- Sir, I have a question sir.
Modi ji :- Ji.
Amlan :- Which sport do you like best sir?
Modi ji :- India should bloom a lot in the world of sports and that is why I am promoting these things a lot, but hockey, football, kabaddi, kho-kho, these are games rooted to our land, in these, we should never lag behind. And I’m observing that our people, are doing well in archery, they are doing well in shooting. And secondly, I am seeing that our youth and even in our families also do not have that feeling towards sports which was there earlier. Earlier, when a child used to go to play, they used to stop, and now, times have changed and the success that you people have been achieving, motivates all the families. In every game, wherever our children are going, they return after accomplishing something or the other for the country. And such news is shown prominently in the country today…is also conveyed and also discussed in schools and colleges. Well! I felt very nice. Many many congratulations to all of you from my side. Many good wishes.
Young player :- Thank you very much! Thank you Sir! Thank you
Modi ji :- Thank you! Namaskar.
My family members, this time on 15th August, the country saw the power of 'Sabka Prayas'. The efforts of all the countrymen turned the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' into a 'Har Man Tiranga Abhiyan'. Many records were also made during this campaign. The countrymen purchased tricolors in crores. Around 1.5 crore tricolors were sold through 1.5 lakh post offices. Through that, our workers, weavers, and especially women have also earned hundreds of crores of rupees. This time the countrymen have created a new record in posting Selfie with the tricolor. Last year till August 15, about 5 crore countrymen had posted Selfiewith the tricolor. This year this number has also crossed 10 crores.
Friends, At present, the campaign to evoke the spirit of patriotism 'Meri Mati, Mera Desh' is in full swing in the country. In the month of September, there will be a campaign to collect soil from every house in every village of the country. The holy soil of the country will be deposited in thousands of Amrit Kalash urns. At the end of October, thousands will reach the country's capital Delhi with the Amrit Kalash Yatra. Amrit Vatika will be built in Delhi from this soil only. I am sure, the efforts of every countryman will make this campaign successful.
My family members, this time I have received many letters in Sanskrit language. The reason for this is that the Poornima of the month of Sawan, World Sanskrit Day is celebrated.
Sarvebhyah Vishwa Sanskrit Disasasya Haardayaha Shubhkamanah
Many felicitations to all of you on World Sanskrit Day. We all know that Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world. It is also called the mother of many modern languages. Sanskrit is known for its antiquity as well as its scientificity and grammar. Much ancient knowledge of India has been preserved in Sanskrit language for thousands of years. People doing research on subjects like Yoga, Ayurveda and philosophy are now learning Sanskrit more and more. Many institutes are also doing very good work in this direction. Such as Sanskrit Promotion foundation runs many courses like Sanskrit for Yog, Sanskrit for Ayurveda and Sanskrit for Buddhism. 'Sanskrit Bharti' runs a campaign to teach Sanskrit to people. In this you can participate in a 10 day 'Sanskrit Conversation Camp'. I am happy that today awareness and pride in Sanskrit has increased among people. There is also a special contribution of the country in the past years behind this. For example, three Sanskrit Deemed Universities were made Central Universities in 2020. Many colleges and institutes of Sanskrit universities are also being run in different cities. Sanskrit centers are becoming very popular in institutes like IITs and IIMs.
Friends, you must have often experienced one thing, in order to connect with the roots, to connect with our culture, our tradition, there’s is a very powerful medium – our mother tongue. When we connect with our mother tongue, we naturally connect with our culture. We get connected with our Sanskars, we get connected with our tradition, we get connected with our ancient splendor. Similarly, India has another mother tongue, the glorious Telugu language. 29 August will be celebrated as Telugu Day.
Andariki Telugu Bhasha Dinotsava Shubhakankshalu |
Many many congratulations to all of you on Telugu Day. Many priceless gems of Indian culture are hidden in the literature and heritage of Telugu language. Many efforts are also being made to ensure that the whole country gets the benefit of this heritage of Telugu.
My family members, we have talked about tourism in many episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat'. Seeing things or places in person, understanding and living them for a few moments, offers a different experience.
No matter how much someone describes the ocean, we cannot feel its vastness without seeing the ocean. No matter how much one talks about the Himalayas, we cannot assess its beauty without seeing the Himalayas. That's why I often urge all of you that whenever we get a chance, we must go to see the beauty and diversity of our country. Often we also see one more thing…despite having searched every corner of the world, we are unaware of many best places and things in our own city or state.
Many times it happens that people do not know much about the historical places of their own city. Something similar happened with Dhanpal ji. Dhanapal ji used to work as a driver in the Transport Office of Bangalore. About 17 years ago, he was given a responsibility in the Sightseeing wing. Now people know it by the name of Bengaluru Darshini. Dhanpal ji used to take tourists to various tourist places of the city. On one such trip, a tourist asked him why the tank in Bangalore is called Senki Tank. He felt very bad that he did not know the answer. In such a situation, he focused on enhancing his own knowledge. In his passion to know his heritage, he found many stones and inscriptions. Dhanpal ji's mind was so absorbed in this task that he also did a Diploma in epigraphy i.e. the subject related to inscriptions. Though he is now retired, his passion to explore the history of Bengaluru is still alive.
Friends, I am very happy to tell you about Brian D. Kharpran. He is a resident of Meghalaya and has a great interest in speleology. In simple language, it means – study of caves. Years ago, this interest arose in him when he read several story books. In 1964, he did his first exploration as a schoolboy. In 1990, he along with his friend established an association and through this he started to find out about the unknown caves of Meghalaya. Within no time, he along with his team discovered more than 1700 caves in Meghalaya and put the state on the World Cave Map. Some of the longest and deepest caves in India are present in Meghalaya. Brian Ji and his team have also documented the Cave Fauna ie those creatures of the cave, which are not found anywhere else in the world. I appreciate the efforts of this entire team, as well as I urge you to make a plan to visit the caves of Meghalaya.
My family members, you all know that the Dairy Sector is one of the most important sectors of our country. It has played a very important role in bringing a big change in the lives of our mothers and sisters. Just a few days ago, I came to know about an interesting initiative of Banas Dairy of Gujarat. Banas Dairy is considered to be the biggest Dairy in Asia. On an average, 75 lakh liters of milk is processed here everyday. After this it is also sent to other states. For the timely delivery of milk here to other states, until now the support of tankers or milk trains was availed of. But there were no less challenges in that too. Firstly, loading and unloading used to take a lot of time and often the milk also used to get spoilt. To overcome this problem, Indian Railways did a new experiment. Railways started a Truck-on-Track facility from Palanpur to New Rewari. In this, milk trucks are directly loaded onto the train. That is, the major problem of transportation has been overcome by this. The results of the Truck-on-Track facility have been very satisfactory. Earlier the milk which used to take 30 hours to reach is now reaching in less than half the time. Due to this, whereas the pollution caused by fuel has stopped, the cost of fuel is also saved. Drivers of trucks have also benefited a lot from this, their life has become easier.
Friends, with collective efforts today, our dairies are also moving forward with modern thinking. How Banas Dairy has also taken a step forward in the direction of environmental protection is evident through the Seedball tree plantation campaign. Varanasi Milk Union is working on manure management to increase the income of our dairy farmers. The effort of Malabar Milk Union Dairy of Kerala is also very unique. It is engaged in developing Ayurvedic Medicines for the treatment of animal diseases.
Friends, today there are many people who are diversifying by adopting dairy. You must also know about Amanpreet Singh, who is running a dairy farm in Kota, Rajasthan. Along with dairy, he also focused on Biogas and set up two biogas plants. Due to this, their expenditure on electricity has reduced by about 70 percent. This effort of his is going to inspire dairy farmers across the country. Today many big dairies are focusing on biogas. This type of Community Driven Value addition is very exciting. I am sure that such trends will continue throughout the country.
My family members, that's all today in Mann Ki Baat. The season of festivals has also arrived. Happy Raksha Bandhan as well to all of you in advance. At the time of celebration, we also have to remember the mantra of Vocal for Local. This campaign of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat' is the every countryman’s own campaign. And during the festive atmosphere, we have to keep holy places and their vicinity clean; albeit for all times. Next time we will again have 'Mann Ki Baat', shall meet with some new topics. We will discuss to our heart’s content, some of the new efforts of the countrymen and their success. Till then I take leave of you. Thank you very much.
Namaskar